Scars and Stories
by MFerDLF
Summary: "They were both safe and sound. And they were both, together, going to work this out all right. They always did, after all."


A/N: Title taken from The Fray´s album, Scars and Stories.

I do not own PJO/HOO.

* * *

"Percy?" Annabeth asked, her face half-lit by the fountain's glow on Percy's cabin. A light breeze entered from the opened door, making her hair dance around her face. She tucked a stray curl behind her ear, a sign Percy recognized as nervousness.

She was leaning on the doorframe, and kept checking behind her every now and then, as if waiting for a hellhound to jump up at them and attack. Her shoulders were visibly tense, and she had her arms wrapped around herself, her left fingers grazing her dagger's hilt.

She looked at Percy once again, seemed to realize something and immediately closed the door, making her way towards him. Her footsteps echoed on the wood floor. Annabeth reached out for the nightlight and turned it on.

As soon as the light was on, she could see Percy's tense shoulders beginning to relax. Hers did so, too, on instinct.

Percy sat up on his bed and wrapped an arm around her, pulling Annabeth to his lap. She had come here with the purpose to spend the night together, as they always did now. Even when Tyson visited, he seemed excited to have a "pajama party".

Annabeth immediately relaxed against Percy's warm body and played with the hem of her white shirt absentmindedly. He wrapped his other arm around her, bringing her closer. Annabeth nuzzled his neck softly, breathing in. He always smelled of the ocean; it was a soothing and familiar smell now.

For a moment, everything was quiet, with the occasional chirp or growl coming from the forest. Then Annabeth slowly spun herself around, her legs at either side of Percy's.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Percy mumbled against the skin of her neck.

Annabeth shook her head slightly. She shivered involuntarily, but not from remembering her dream. "Tomorrow," she promised, just as low. Then she added, "Do you?"

Percy's hands slid down her back, and began tracing soothing patterns. "I..." he shook his head and tried again. "Tomorrow," he repeated.

Percy frowned as his nimble fingers felt a slight bump on her back. He repeated the movement, and felt it again. He looked at Annabeth questioningly.

She sighed reluctantly and decided to tell him. After all, he was looking at her with those pleading green eyes, like a baby seal that needed help. "Remember when it was my turn to have first watch?" she didn't wait for his answer."Well, I kind of began dozing off, " at the look of regret on his boyfriend's face, she talked quicker, "and by the time I heard something, the hellhound had already attacked me, and although his claws barely touched me, they still left the scar."

"What?! I should have been the one to-"

"No," Annabeth cut him off coldly and leaned away from him a little. "You were already too tired. Besides, it's fine. It's not that bad, really," Annabeth tried to wave it off dismissively.

"Can I..." Percy swallowed and blushed furiously. "Can I see it?"

Annabeth paled, already imagining Percy's face when he saw that it was everything but "fine"; she then blushed the same shade as him as she slid off his lap and lifted her shirt a little, showing him the scar on her lower back, opposite to her navel.

Percy paled when he saw the angry red, puckered skin of the scar. It is nothing near "fine", his face read, just as Annabeth had expected.

"Annabeth..." he trailed off. He looked up at her. "I'm sorry." His fingers brushed softly against her scar.

Annabeth shook her head with disbelief and turned around to face him, pulling down her shirt so it covered the scar again. "You have nothing to be sorry of, Percy! You needed to rest, yes- needed," she remarked, seeing his face. "And I was not careful enough. I got attacked. It's okay, Percy. Really."

"It's not!" he burst. "Gods, Annabeth, what if the hellhound had hurt you badly? What if you... if you didn't make it? You could have died!" he choked on his own words. He buried his face in his hands, his elbows on his knees. "You should have woken me up. Or let me take that watch."

"Your fatal flaw is acting up, Percy. Remember what my mother told you." Annabeth teased, then chuckled at the half-hearted dirty look Percy gave her. She grew serious again.

Annabeth grabbed one of Percy's hands in hers, and turned it around so the back of his hand faced her. "And what's this?" she inquired, seeing a series of small scars which were already healing.

Percy twisted his mouth and looked away. "Arachne's spiders."

Annabeth brought his hand to her mouth, then brushed her lips gently against the scars, causing Percy to look at her.

"Hey," Annabeth said. "We are both scarred, okay? We both made the journey through Tartarus, too. And we both made it out, didn't we? Together. It's okay, Percy."

Percy sighed and leaned back down on his bed, grabbing Annabeth's hands and pulling her next to him.

Annabeth slid on the warm bed and turned around so she faced him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and ran her hands through Percy's hair, messing it up even more. Annabeth snorted, seeing her boyfriend's hair sticking out in various angles.

"Hey," he frowned, and he, too, run a hand over her hair so all of it was on her face.

Annabeth laughed and smacked him lightly. "Seaweed Brain." She eyed him through the blond curtain of hair that covered her vision.

"Wise Girl." Percy brushed her hair away from her face now, and slowly, softly he began tracing Annabeth's features.

She closed her eyes and relaxed, not daring to move as Percy's fingers slid down her nose, traced the outline of her eyes and eyelashes, the contour of her lips. It felt good. Incredibly good. His fingers stopped over her chin, and Annabeth opened her eyes questioningly. He cupped her chin and kissed her gently on the lips. She wrapped her arms around Percy's neck and tangled her fingers in his hair. Percy's other hand was on her waist.

Percy run his tongue over Annabeth's lower lip, asking for permission. She was surprised, but not unpleasantly so. So she parted her lips a little bit more, and the kiss deepened.

Percy, apparently, had forgotten to breathe, as did her, so they broke apart panting heavily. Percy's cheeks were bright red (she was sure she was not much better), and she laughed. Percy smiled and laced her fingers with hers.

Annabeth rested her head on his chest, hearing Percy's heart beat sturdily.

Percy breathed in Annabeth's scent of lemon soap and strawberries, which always reminded him of Camp Half-Blood's summers; of home.

The wind blew outside, and rain had started to fall lightly.

They were both safe and sound. And they were both, together, going to work this out all right.

They always did, after all.


End file.
